Tánaiste Announces €8.24m Funding for Enterprise Centres – Up to €150,000 awarded to local business hubs

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, today announced €8.24m in grants for 95 Enterprise Centres around the country under Enterprise Ireland’s Enterprise Centres Fund.

Enterprise Centres are embedded in communities in every county in the country. They provide space and training for entrepreneurs, allowing them to work remotely, access training and advice, and network with other business leaders.

This funding will be crucial as the Centres continue to offer services to local businesses during what is an exceptionally difficult time. It will help the Centres implement a recovery plan for businesses within their remit over the next six to twelve months.  

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: “I am really pleased to make this funding available through by Department. It will help enterprise centres all over the country to modernise their facilities protecting the health and safety of people who work there and helping to secure much needed jobs.” 

Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland added: “Over the past 20 years, Enterprise Centres have provided important infrastructure for entrepreneurs and are an essential part of the start-up ecosystem across Ireland. The Centres, many of which are regionally based, provide space, connectivity, mentoring and support to start-up founders and teams, helping them to scale internationally.

“The funding announced today through Enterprise Ireland will ensure that the Enterprise Centres, many of whom have been negatively impacted by Covid-19, can sustain their businesses, pivot and further develop their services to support the next wave of Irish start-up companies.”

The Fund, which was launched in August, was open to both not-for-profit and for-profit enterprise centres which have seen their income significantly impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 95 enterprise centres, which are in every region of the country, will receive grants ranging from €10k to €150k.

Powering the Regions – Enterprise Centre Fund

Eligible enterprise centres could apply for funding of a minimum of €10,000 and up to a maximum of €150,000. Funding will be administered in the form of grant aid of up to 80 per cent of eligible costs detailed in the Recovery Plan submitted by each applicant.

Applicants for funding will need to demonstrate the ability to finance the balance of funding required to implement the Recovery Plan. The required balanced of funding can take the form of revenue generated through the centres core activities over the duration of the plan.

Eligible applicants for funding under this fund are enterprise centres that:

  • Are for-profit limited companies; or not-for-profit DAC or CLG enterprises; or campus incubation centres that were in existence in 2019.
  • Are headquartered in Ireland.
  • Provide both rented accommodation space to enterprise and capability building supports and services through the delivery of structured programmes.
  • Have a track record of the delivery of a suite of development programmes to start-ups. The delivery of capability building services must be a critical part of the enterprise centre’s business model.
  • Can demonstrate that the centre requires funding to cover operational costs over the next 6-12 months.

For-profit approvals:

NumberApplicant Name (Correct legal entity name)CountyNuts III RegionGrant Amount (€)
 1Landingzone Ltd T/A Dogpatch LabsDublin CityDublin150,000
 2Republic of Work (Cork) LimitedCorkSouth149,000
 3CIT Innovation Centre DAC. T/A The RubiconCorkSouth43,045
 4Haslette Holdings Ltd. T/A ManorHUBLeitrimNorthwest16,304
 5Thurles Community Enterprise Centre Limited (TCEC)TipperaryMid-West97,766
 6Blackgate Innovation Ltd T/A Vision 85PortlaoiseMidlands46,800
 7Vaaw Ltd/Culture Co-WorkingCorkSouth41,200
 8Charlesford Ltd T/A The Spool Factory** RoscommonWest67,500
 9Mobile Clipboard LtdGalwayWest10,905
10The Box CoWork LtdKerryMid-West46,600
11HQ Coworking Space Ltd.KerryMid-West91,920
12Ardee Community Development Company Ltd.LouthNortheast105,420
13Ionad Fiontar Pobal Iar Dheisceart Dhun Na Ngall TeorantaDonegalNorthwest10,648
    877,108

Not-for-profit approvals:

 NumberApplicant Name (Correct legal entity name)CountyEI Region Grant Amount
1Action Community & Enterprise CLG t/a ACE Enterprise ParkDublin SouthDublin     150,000
2Action Tuam Company Limited by GuaranteeGalwayWest     150,000
3Allenwood Community Development Association CLGKildareMid-East       75,359
4Arclabs Research & Innovation Centre Waterford Institute of TechnologyWaterfordSoutheast     119,830
5Arklow Business Enterprise Centre Ltd.WicklowMid-East       99,820
6Athlone Community Development Association CLGWestmeathMidlands       82,600
7Ballinasloe Area Community Development CLG Ballinasloe Enterprise CentreGalwayWest       50,176
8Ballyhoura Food Centre (Hospital) DACLimerickMid-West       28,480
9Ballyhoura Food Centre (Mitchelstown) DACCorkSouth       28,400
10BASE Enterprise CLGDublin FingalDublin       81,920
11Bia Innovator Campus CLGGalwayWest       54,000
12Broadford Community Enterprise Centre CLGLimerickMid-West       40,000
13Brookpark Enterprise Centre CLGCorkSouth       38,560
14Carlow Community Enterprise Centres CLG CarlowSoutheast       96,478
15Castleblayney Community Enterprise CLGMonaghanNorth-East/ North-West       45,760
16Cavan County Enterprise Fund **CavanNortheast       83,200
17Cavan Digital Hub DACCavanNortheast       56,128
18Cavan Innovation & Technology Centre LtdCavanNortheast       99,040
19Churchfield Community TrustCorkSouth       37,502
20COLAB Letterkenny Institute of TechnologyDonegalNorthwest     150,000
21Cork Urban Enterprises CLG T/A Northside for Business CampusCorkSouth     103,400
22County Kildare Chamber of Commerce CLGKildareMid-East       17,416
23Creative Spark CLGLouthNortheast     108,000
24Croom Community Enterprise Centre DACLimerickMid-West       44,171
25Digital Hq CLG t/a Dún Laoghaire Enterprise CentreDublin Dun Laoghaire RathdownDublin       28,483
26Donegal County Enterprise Fund **DonegalNorthwest       90,648
27Drogheda Enterprise Centre CLGLouthNortheast     140,600
28Drumshanbo Enterprise Centre Company CLGLeitrimNorthwest       81,384
29Drumshanbo Community Council CLG LeitrimNorthwest       96,240
30Dublin Business Innovation Centre t/a Space@Dublin BICDublin CityDublin       34,353
31Dublin Enterprise & Technology Centre T/A Guinness Enterprise Centre Dublin CityDublin     147,000
32Dundalk Institute of Technology t/a Regional Development CentreLouthNortheast     146,170
33Dungarvan Enterprise Centre CLGWaterfordSoutheast       64,369
34Enterprise & Research Incubation Centre (ERIC)CarlowSoutheast       32,000
35Enterprise Castlerea Company Limited by Guarantee – T/A The Hub / An Chistin Food HubRoscommonWest       52,500
36Ferbane Business & Technology Park CLGOffalyMidlands       40,000
37Fumbally Exchange CLGDublin CityDublin     148,600
38Galway City Innovation District CLGGalwayWest     149,978
39Galway Mayo Institute of Technology – GMIT Innovation Hubs- Galway (iHub Galway)GalwayWest     101,442
40Galway Technology Centre DACGalwayWest     149,400
41Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Innovation Hub MayoMayoWest       75,828
42Innovate Dublin Communities CLGDublin FingalDublin     145,024
43Institute of Technology Sligo T/A Innovation Centre at IT SligoSligoNorth-East/ North-West     146,220
44IRD North Mayo – West Sligo (t/a Moy Valley Resources)MayoWest       10,200
45Kells Community Enterprise Company CLGMeathMid-East     148,720
46Kerry Innovation Centre CLG t/a Tom Crean Business CentreKerryMid-West       95,067
47Kilkenny Community Enterprise Centre CLG t/a The Abbey Business Centre  KilkennySoutheast       86,880
48Killarney Technology Innovation Limited KerryMid-West       75,600
49Leitrim County Enterprise Fund T/A The Hive **LeitrimNorth-East/ North-West     139,637
50Limerick Institute of Technology Questum Acceleration CentreTipperaryMid-West     112,322
51LIT Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre (HEAC) limerickMid-West       87,525
52Ludgate Operations CLGCorkSouth     117,152
53Meath Enterprise Centre Company CLGMeathMid-East     145,664
54Midlands Innovation and Research CentreWestmeathMidlands       56,327
55Mitchelstown Community Forum CLGTipperaryMid-West       84,400
56Mol TeicKerryMid-West       65,680
57Monaghan County Enterprise Fund **MonaghanNortheast       81,600
58National University of Ireland Galway Business Innovation Centre (BIC) – Innovation OfficeGalwayWest       98,000
59Nexus Innovation Centre ULLimerickMid-West     145,394
60Nutgrove Community Enterprise Centre CLGDublin Dun Laoghaire RathdownDublin       39,896
61Offaly Innovation and Design Centre CLGOffalyMidlands       69,760
62Partas CLGDublin SouthDublin       64,000
63Portarlington Enterprise Centre CLGLaoisMidlands       67,840
64Portlaoise Enterprise CentreLaoisMidlands       88,000
65RDI Hub Company Limited by GuaranteeKerryMid-West     104,794
66S.C.C.U.L Enterprises CLGGalwayWest     150,000
67Sneem Innovation & Technology Services CLGKerryMid-West       77,808
68Social and Local Enterprise Alliance DACDublin SouthDublin     136,000
69St Paul’s Area Development Enterprise Ltd t/a SPADE Enterprise CentreDublin CityDublin     119,200
70Sustainable Ireland Cooperative Society Ltd & North Tipperary Green Enterprise Park CLGTipperaryMid-West       71,760
71TangentDublin CityDublin     100,200
72The Community Enterprise Society CLG t/a Terenure Enterprise CentreDublin SouthDublin       54,660
73The Media CubeDublin Dun Laoghaire RathdownDublin     120,000
74The Model County Enterprise Group CLG – Centre EnniscorthyWexfordSoutheast       98,400
75The Model County Enterprise Group CLG – Centre The HatchWexfordSoutheast       52,800
76TU Dublin Tallaght Campus t/a Synergy CentreDublin SouthDublin       89,390
77Tubbercurry Development CLG T/A An Chroí South Sligo Enterprise Centre SligoNorth       67,600
78UCD Nova Designated Activity CompanyDublin Dun Laoghaire RathdownDublin     132,043
79University College Cork CorkSouth     105,480
80Waterford City Community Enterprise Centre CLG: Trading as: Waterford City Enterprise CentreWaterfordSoutheast       80,503
81Westport Multi Agency Enterprise CLG TA Leeson Enterprise CentreMayoWest       74,600
82Wexford Community Development Association Society Limited Trading as Wexford Enterprise CentreWexfordSoutheast     144,395
      7,369,776

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